Up-and-comng Saints defensive line not shy to say it tries 'to copy a couple of things'

09-06-2018, 11:34 AM

jeanpierre · 09-06-2018, 11:35 AM

BY JOEL A. ERICKSON | JERICKSON@THEADVOCATE.COM SEP 5, 2018 - 8:39 PM

David Onyemata barely knew football.

A few years into playing a sport he'd never seen until college, Onyemata was a physical freak learning the Canadian version of the game on the fly at the University of Manitoba.

No one from his college had ever been drafted. The NFL seemed far away.

But he knew Ndamukong Suh.

"That's the main guy I look up to," Onyemata said. "I try to copy a couple of things from him."

Onyemata would sit and watch highlights of Suh, studying the way the former Lion and Dolphin, now with the Rams, utilized his immense physical power to get to the quarterback.

Long before he would hear his name called in the fourth round of the 2015 draft, Onyemata already had begun a habit that would fit in well with the rest of the Saints defensive line room.

A young group of pass rushers spends an awful lot of time watching the game's best in order to make their own game better.

"I think almost everybody, a lot of guys in the locker room, do," defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins said. "We've got a lot of guys who really love football, and really want to be the best at their craft."

---

Outside of All-Pro defensive end Cameron Jordan and talented bookend Alex Okafor, the New Orleans defensive line is made up of young players who are still on their first NFL contract, the spoils of four drafts spent addressing the position.

And while defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen and pass rush coach Brian Young deserve a lot of credit for the way these players have developed, plenty should go to the players themselves and the superstars who inspire them.

Nearly all of the young Saints linemen have added something to their arsenal that they didn't have in college, simply by watching film of the best players in the game at their position.

"Everybody thinks different, everybody does things different," Rankins said. "If you're able to watch those guys and take little bits and pieces from their game, it can only help."

A football nerd who loves to watch film and talk about technique, Rankins has spent a lot of time watching other tackles like Rams tackle Aaron Donald, Tennessee's Jurrell Casey and Tampa Bay's Gerald McCoy.

A move McCoy does better than anybody has become a key part of Rankins' arsenal.

"A cross-chop, chop-swat, whatever you want to call it," Rankins said. "That move, a lot of guards sit with their hands low and try to punch up, so if they're hands are down, you chop their hands, swat the shoulder and you're able to get around. That move, coming out of college, I didn't have it."

Nose tackle Tyeler Davison studies a different set of stars.

For him, it's players like Minnesota's Linval Joseph, New York's Damon Harrison and Green Bay's Kenny Clark. Davison, a former wrestler who has an innate understanding of technique, has an arsenal full of notes he's gleaned from their tape.

"Either that I've taken from them or that reinforces the way I do it," Davison said. "For example, Linval Joseph uses his hands real well. He brings his hands straight from the ground into the blocker. I feel like that's one thing I try to make sure I keep on doing, and do in a little bit different way, bring the thumb of my hand up."

The key is to find somebody who possesses a similar skill set.

Onyemata watches Suh because they share the same trait.

"The power, first," Onyemata said. "You just want to see a guy in the league who you have something in common with, maybe size-wise, strength-wise or something like that. You just kind of look for that guy and see how they play the game."

---

The process never ends.

When Rankins went back and watched film of his sophomore season, he saw far too many plays where he threw his first move, got stymied by an offensive lineman and failed to get off the block.

Rankins headed into the offseason determined to improve that area of his game. A shorter player like Donald, Rankins watches the reigning Defensive Player of the Year all the time, but his own self-assessment guided what he took from Donald this season and applied to training camp.

"Aaron Donald's really good at this: secondary pass-rush moves," Rankins said. "I think that's helped me going into this camp, being able to not get stuck. A lot of times last year, I would throw a move, and once I threw it, that was it. I got stuck and didn't really figure out how to get out of it. This year, it's about being able to string moves together and being able to always find a way to win a rush."

Davison plays a position known for holding up blocks, taking on double teams and creating an opportunity for other people to make a play.

Watching Harrison, the Giants nose tackle who has made an unbelievable 162 tackles over the past two seasons, helped Davison realize he can do more than simply clear a path for everybody else.

"He doesn't just get his own gap," Davison said. "A lot of the time, he'll get the A gap next to his, he'll leave his gap and go get the B gap next to his, or when he diagnoses the play and he knows where the ball-carrier's supposed to hit, he'll go there immediately to stop the run. I feel like that's something I'm trying to learn how to do."

---

Then there's Jordan.

A fun-loving comedian with a flair for showmanship in an interview, particularly in post-game, Jordan's personality somewhat hides the fact that he's a walking encyclopedia on just about every pass rusher of note in the NFL, both old and new.

Jordan has a shoe room — a room with a shag rug that's just right for a little early study.

"Over the offseason, it’s a nice little schedule of waking up, hopefully before the family does, and in my quiet time I read a Bible verse and then get to some highlights," Jordan said. "As I am laying there, I am just sort of watching Keith Millard, Chris Doleman, Reggie White."

Not that Jordan only likes the classics.

Wind him up on current pass rushers and just watch him break them down rapid-fire, both what they do best and whether or not it fits his own game.

"Von Miller, I don’t think I am going to get his first three steps, but I don’t need that. We have different things," Jordan said. "You go ahead and you look up your Derek Wolfe, and you look up all interior rushers, your Gerald McCoy and how he goes through the gaps. You shoot over to Cincinnati and you go to Carlos Dunlap and Geno (Atkins), of course. I don’t think I could do what Geno does, the way he jumps through gaps sometimes is impressive. I don’t think I am ever going to be as short as Aaron Donald, but I can be as strong and quick as he is."

That's just the players with incredible first steps. On a roll, Jordan shifts seamlessly to the next phase of the rush, as smoothly as an edge rusher turning the corner.

"You just try and take all the hand games you can from Donald; you get to Joey Bosa, who again probably has the cleanest, smoothest hand games, hand combos you are going to get," Jordan said. "(Chandler Jones), he is 6-(foot)-6 and he knows how to extend. When you talk about his speed, his power, his long arm, for some reason, (Jones) is slept on. He is able to create that space, and when he does, he makes big plays."

Houston's J.J. Watt, new Bears linebacker Khalil Mack, Jacksonville's Calais Campbell — Jordan knows them all.

The hard part for Jordan, and for anybody trying to watch his tape and steal from him, is that the Saints defensive end has a pass-rush style unlike anybody else in the NFL.

An incredibly strong player capable of throwing an offensive tackle into a quarterback — a bull rush he actually pulled off against Detroit last season when he tossed Brian Mihalik into Matthew Stafford — Jordan inverts the typical pass rush.

Most edge rushers start with speed and convert to power; Jordan shows power on every rush and builds his moves out of that, moves that are sometimes completely unorthodox and instinctive. A few have been pulled from other players.

But they might look like something completely different when Jordan throws them, because of his unique brand of genius.

"You are just chilling out, watching these reps, thinking 'how am I going to implement any of this into my pass rush?,' " Jordan said. "I could say I watch offensive linemen, but I would be lying."

---

New Orleans threw another raw piece into this mix this offseason, trading two first-round picks in order to move up to No. 14 and take UTSA defensive end Marcus Davenport.

A player with some power, Davenport likes to watch Jordan and learn from the man who's in his own meeting room, but the All-Pro has already given the rookie plenty of homework.

"I'm like, just check out Carlos Dunlap, check out your taller rushers," Jordan said. "Be aware that you're going to be one of your taller defensive ends out there, so be aware of your leverages, be able to look at Von and the way he bends. Check out a couple of my rushes, see the way that after contact, you have to be able to dip and get as low as you can."

Davenport is trying to soak up everything Jordan is putting down.

And as much as he admires No. 94, he's already found a couple of other muses.

"I like (Danielle) Hunter and (Ezekiel) Ansah," Davenport said.

Sounds like the new guy will fit right in.

K Major · 09-06-2018, 11:42 AM

Onyemata watches Suh because they share the same trait.

I think David on his way. Disruption = production.

09-06-2018, 11:34 AM	#1
Threaded by jeanpierre Site Donor 2018 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Thibodaux Posts: 43,543 Blog Entries: 39 Rating: (0 votes - average) Twitter
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09-06-2018, 11:35 AM	#2
jeanpierre Site Donor 2018 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Thibodaux Posts: 43,543 Blog Entries: 39	Re: Up-and-comng Saints defensive line not shy to say it tries 'to copy a couple of things' BY JOEL A. ERICKSON \| JERICKSON@THEADVOCATE.COM SEP 5, 2018 - 8:39 PM David Onyemata barely knew football. A few years into playing a sport he'd never seen until college, Onyemata was a physical freak learning the Canadian version of the game on the fly at the University of Manitoba. No one from his college had ever been drafted. The NFL seemed far away. But he knew Ndamukong Suh. "That's the main guy I look up to," Onyemata said. "I try to copy a couple of things from him." Onyemata would sit and watch highlights of Suh, studying the way the former Lion and Dolphin, now with the Rams, utilized his immense physical power to get to the quarterback. Long before he would hear his name called in the fourth round of the 2015 draft, Onyemata already had begun a habit that would fit in well with the rest of the Saints defensive line room. A young group of pass rushers spends an awful lot of time watching the game's best in order to make their own game better. "I think almost everybody, a lot of guys in the locker room, do," defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins said. "We've got a lot of guys who really love football, and really want to be the best at their craft." --- Outside of All-Pro defensive end Cameron Jordan and talented bookend Alex Okafor, the New Orleans defensive line is made up of young players who are still on their first NFL contract, the spoils of four drafts spent addressing the position. And while defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen and pass rush coach Brian Young deserve a lot of credit for the way these players have developed, plenty should go to the players themselves and the superstars who inspire them. Nearly all of the young Saints linemen have added something to their arsenal that they didn't have in college, simply by watching film of the best players in the game at their position. "Everybody thinks different, everybody does things different," Rankins said. "If you're able to watch those guys and take little bits and pieces from their game, it can only help." A football nerd who loves to watch film and talk about technique, Rankins has spent a lot of time watching other tackles like Rams tackle Aaron Donald, Tennessee's Jurrell Casey and Tampa Bay's Gerald McCoy. A move McCoy does better than anybody has become a key part of Rankins' arsenal. "A cross-chop, chop-swat, whatever you want to call it," Rankins said. "That move, a lot of guards sit with their hands low and try to punch up, so if they're hands are down, you chop their hands, swat the shoulder and you're able to get around. That move, coming out of college, I didn't have it." Nose tackle Tyeler Davison studies a different set of stars. For him, it's players like Minnesota's Linval Joseph, New York's Damon Harrison and Green Bay's Kenny Clark. Davison, a former wrestler who has an innate understanding of technique, has an arsenal full of notes he's gleaned from their tape. "Either that I've taken from them or that reinforces the way I do it," Davison said. "For example, Linval Joseph uses his hands real well. He brings his hands straight from the ground into the blocker. I feel like that's one thing I try to make sure I keep on doing, and do in a little bit different way, bring the thumb of my hand up." The key is to find somebody who possesses a similar skill set. Onyemata watches Suh because they share the same trait. "The power, first," Onyemata said. "You just want to see a guy in the league who you have something in common with, maybe size-wise, strength-wise or something like that. You just kind of look for that guy and see how they play the game." --- The process never ends. When Rankins went back and watched film of his sophomore season, he saw far too many plays where he threw his first move, got stymied by an offensive lineman and failed to get off the block. Rankins headed into the offseason determined to improve that area of his game. A shorter player like Donald, Rankins watches the reigning Defensive Player of the Year all the time, but his own self-assessment guided what he took from Donald this season and applied to training camp. "Aaron Donald's really good at this: secondary pass-rush moves," Rankins said. "I think that's helped me going into this camp, being able to not get stuck. A lot of times last year, I would throw a move, and once I threw it, that was it. I got stuck and didn't really figure out how to get out of it. This year, it's about being able to string moves together and being able to always find a way to win a rush." Davison plays a position known for holding up blocks, taking on double teams and creating an opportunity for other people to make a play. Watching Harrison, the Giants nose tackle who has made an unbelievable 162 tackles over the past two seasons, helped Davison realize he can do more than simply clear a path for everybody else. "He doesn't just get his own gap," Davison said. "A lot of the time, he'll get the A gap next to his, he'll leave his gap and go get the B gap next to his, or when he diagnoses the play and he knows where the ball-carrier's supposed to hit, he'll go there immediately to stop the run. I feel like that's something I'm trying to learn how to do." --- Then there's Jordan. A fun-loving comedian with a flair for showmanship in an interview, particularly in post-game, Jordan's personality somewhat hides the fact that he's a walking encyclopedia on just about every pass rusher of note in the NFL, both old and new. Jordan has a shoe room — a room with a shag rug that's just right for a little early study. "Over the offseason, it’s a nice little schedule of waking up, hopefully before the family does, and in my quiet time I read a Bible verse and then get to some highlights," Jordan said. "As I am laying there, I am just sort of watching Keith Millard, Chris Doleman, Reggie White." Not that Jordan only likes the classics. Wind him up on current pass rushers and just watch him break them down rapid-fire, both what they do best and whether or not it fits his own game. "Von Miller, I don’t think I am going to get his first three steps, but I don’t need that. We have different things," Jordan said. "You go ahead and you look up your Derek Wolfe, and you look up all interior rushers, your Gerald McCoy and how he goes through the gaps. You shoot over to Cincinnati and you go to Carlos Dunlap and Geno (Atkins), of course. I don’t think I could do what Geno does, the way he jumps through gaps sometimes is impressive. I don’t think I am ever going to be as short as Aaron Donald, but I can be as strong and quick as he is." That's just the players with incredible first steps. On a roll, Jordan shifts seamlessly to the next phase of the rush, as smoothly as an edge rusher turning the corner. "You just try and take all the hand games you can from Donald; you get to Joey Bosa, who again probably has the cleanest, smoothest hand games, hand combos you are going to get," Jordan said. "(Chandler Jones), he is 6-(foot)-6 and he knows how to extend. When you talk about his speed, his power, his long arm, for some reason, (Jones) is slept on. He is able to create that space, and when he does, he makes big plays." Houston's J.J. Watt, new Bears linebacker Khalil Mack, Jacksonville's Calais Campbell — Jordan knows them all. The hard part for Jordan, and for anybody trying to watch his tape and steal from him, is that the Saints defensive end has a pass-rush style unlike anybody else in the NFL. An incredibly strong player capable of throwing an offensive tackle into a quarterback — a bull rush he actually pulled off against Detroit last season when he tossed Brian Mihalik into Matthew Stafford — Jordan inverts the typical pass rush. Most edge rushers start with speed and convert to power; Jordan shows power on every rush and builds his moves out of that, moves that are sometimes completely unorthodox and instinctive. A few have been pulled from other players. But they might look like something completely different when Jordan throws them, because of his unique brand of genius. "You are just chilling out, watching these reps, thinking 'how am I going to implement any of this into my pass rush?,' " Jordan said. "I could say I watch offensive linemen, but I would be lying." --- New Orleans threw another raw piece into this mix this offseason, trading two first-round picks in order to move up to No. 14 and take UTSA defensive end Marcus Davenport. A player with some power, Davenport likes to watch Jordan and learn from the man who's in his own meeting room, but the All-Pro has already given the rookie plenty of homework. "I'm like, just check out Carlos Dunlap, check out your taller rushers," Jordan said. "Be aware that you're going to be one of your taller defensive ends out there, so be aware of your leverages, be able to look at Von and the way he bends. Check out a couple of my rushes, see the way that after contact, you have to be able to dip and get as low as you can." Davenport is trying to soak up everything Jordan is putting down. And as much as he admires No. 94, he's already found a couple of other muses. "I like (Danielle) Hunter and (Ezekiel) Ansah," Davenport said. Sounds like the new guy will fit right in.
	It's not that my way is the right way, I just make the right way my way...

09-06-2018, 11:42 AM	#3
K Major Site Donor 2019 Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Bedford, TX Posts: 24,588 Blog Entries: 3	Re: Up-and-comng Saints defensive line not shy to say it tries 'to copy a couple of things' Onyemata watches Suh because they share the same trait. I think David on his way. Disruption = production.

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